Physicist and astronomer Stefan Feeney of University College London, one of the...
One of the three main branches of Christianity (along with Catholicism and Protestantism). It has spread mainly in Eastern Europe and in the Middle East. It was originally the state religion of the Byzantine Empire. Since 988, i.e. For more than a thousand years, Orthodoxy has been the traditional religion in Russia. Orthodoxy shaped the character of the Russian people, cultural traditions and way of life, ethical standards(rules of conduct), aesthetic ideals (patterns of beauty). Orthodox, adj - something that is related to Orthodoxy: an Orthodox person, an Orthodox book, an Orthodox icon, etc.
Great Definition
ORTHODOXY
one of the directions of Christianity, along with Catholicism and Protestantism. It began to take shape from the 4th century. as the official religion of the Byzantine Empire, completely independent since the division christian church in 1054. It did not have a single church center, subsequently several independent Orthodox churches took shape (there are currently 15 of them), each of which has its own specifics, but adheres to common system dogmas and rituals. Holy Scripture (Bible) and Holy Tradition (the decisions of the first 7 Ecumenical Councils and the works of the Church Fathers of the 2nd-8th centuries) form the religious basis of P.. The basic principles of P. are set out in the 12 points of the creed adopted at the first two ecumenical councils in Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381). The most important postulates of Orthodox doctrine are the dogmas: the trinity of God, the incarnation, redemption, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. Dogmas are not subject to change and refinement, not only in content, but also in form. The clergy is recognized as a mediator endowed with grace between God and people. P. is characterized by a complex, detailed cult. Services in P. are longer than in other Christian denominations. An important role is given to holidays, among which Easter occupies the first place. See also Russian Orthodox Church, Georgian Orthodox Church, Polish Orthodox Church, American Orthodox Church.
Unlike Catholicism, which mortified Christianity and turned it into a decorative screen for sin and vice, Orthodoxy has remained a living faith, open to every soul, up to our time. Orthodoxy offers its members a wide scope for learned theologizing, but in its symbolic teaching it gives the theologian a foothold and a scale to which it is necessary to conform, in order to avoid contradiction with the "dogmas" or with the "faith of the Church", any religious reasoning. So, Orthodoxy, unlike Catholicism, allows you to read the Bible in order to extract more detailed information about faith and the church from it; however, in contrast to Protestantism, it considers it necessary to be guided in this by the interpretative works of Sts. Church Fathers, by no means leaving the understanding of the word of God to the personal understanding of the Christian himself. Orthodoxy does not elevate the doctrine of the human, which is not in the Holy. Scripture and Holy Tradition, to the degree of God-revealed, as is done in Catholicism; Orthodoxy does not derive new dogmas from the former teaching of the Church through inference, does not share the Catholic teaching on the higher human dignity of the person of the Mother of God (the Catholic teaching on Her "immaculate conception"), does not ascribe to the saints super-due merits, all the more does not assimilate divine infallibility to a person, even if he was the Roman pontiff himself; The Church in its entirety is recognized as infallible, inasmuch as it expresses its teaching through the Ecumenical Councils. Orthodoxy does not recognize purgatory, teaching that satisfaction for the sins of people to the truth of God has already been brought once and for all by the suffering and death of the Son of God; accepting the 7 Sacraments, Orthodoxy sees in them not only signs of grace, but grace itself; in the Sacrament of the Eucharist he sees the true Body and true Blood of Christ, into which bread and wine are transubstantiated. Orthodox pray to the reposed saints, believing in the power of their prayers before God; honor the incorrupt remains of saints and relics. Contrary to the reformers, according to the teaching of Orthodoxy, the grace of God acts in a person not irresistibly, but in accordance with his free will; our own deeds are reckoned to our merit, though not in themselves, but by virtue of the assimilation by the faithful of the merits of the Savior. While disapproving of the Catholic doctrine of ecclesiastical authority, Orthodoxy recognizes, however, the ecclesiastical hierarchy with its grace-filled gifts and allows the laity to participate in the affairs of the church. The moral teaching of Orthodoxy does not give relief to sin and passions, as does Catholicism (in indulgences); it rejects the Protestant doctrine of justification by faith alone, requiring every Christian to express his faith in good works. In relation to the state, Orthodoxy does not want to rule over it, like Catholicism, nor to submit to it in its internal affairs, like Protestantism: it strives to preserve complete freedom of activity, without interfering with the independence of the state in the sphere of its power.
Great Definition
Incomplete definition ↓
What is Orthodoxy? We all hear: the Russian Church, the Church of Constantinople - but what is Orthodoxy as such? I, as a theologian, will try to give a picture of historical development Orthodoxy, but I will try to answer the directly posed question: what is it.
The term "Orthodoxy" itself is quite ancient: it appeared at the end of the third - the beginning of the fourth century, was due to the emergence of new, heretical movements that gave rise to the controversy that continues to this day. It was at that time, in order to express the direction of Christianity that comes from the beginning, that the term Orthodoxy appeared - "orthodoxy".
I will give one Buddhist parable that everyone knows, but its meaning is not the one I want to say. The elephant is being groped by several blind men different parties, and each gives his own definition of an elephant: one feels his leg: “Oh, this is a palm tree!” Another hit the tail: "Ah, it's a snake." The third ran into a fang: "This is a plow." The fourth reached for his ears: "The elephant is a burdock." The fifth touches the torso: "This is a barrel." Each of them conveys his own experience of knowledge, real, not fantastic, the experience of experiencing through the feelings of the reality that he is trying to realize. Completely different ideas about the same thing.
Theosophists draw completely different conclusions from this, and in Hinduism this idea is widespread: the Deity is unknowable, and everyone creates his own idea on the basis of narrow, blind experience. But I would like to say about a different vision: the blind feel, and they have a false experience, because they do not see. What if someone saw? The one with the eyes?
It is good when a person has received his sight and seen, but what if this vision is not there? And if the blind get together and start discussing, who is the elephant? After all, they all have a real experience of experiencing this. Which of them is right? Put it all together? All the same, nothing will work out - to lay down a palm tree with a snake - one can only smile at such a reality.
Once Christianity was a single religion, now we don't even know how many confessions there are. In America, I once said: "You have dozens of them" - they answered me: "You are mistaken, professor: there are hundreds of them." Each of us is convinced in our understanding of the truth of Christianity, in our understanding of the Bible. The same question arises that was before the blind: by what criterion can one judge? Which of us is right, and how to find that holistic vision of this object, about which we all talk, often argue, and sometimes enmity towards each other flares up? One Bible? - Yes. One Bible? – No: as many as there are confessions. This is what distinguishes our directions, that everyone has his own vision of the Holy Scriptures, his own understanding of specific passages of Scripture. Often disputes about this are devoid of healthy ground. Where are the criteria for correct understanding?
Only by resolving this issue, we could try to create a complete picture of what we call Holy Scripture, what we understand by Christianity. What characterizes Orthodoxy in this case? Orthodoxy answers this question in the following way: who could best understand the apostolic writings? “Probably the disciples of the apostles. They were successors both in humanity - they communicated with them, and in spirit, for in baptism, as we read in Acts, they immediately received special gifts of the Holy Spirit, which made it possible for them to understand what was written by the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God is the author of Scripture, and true understanding can only come from that same Spirit.
Therefore, the first who could give an objective understanding of the writings of the apostles were the disciples of the apostles. They are called apostolic men. We already find literature from them - a whole series of writings.
They have their disciples to whom they passed on the understanding given to them by the Spirit of God. This is how the thread of the initial understanding of the Revelation that was given to us in Jesus Christ, which was then written down by the apostles and preached throughout the world, gradually develops. There is a line of succession. How to trace this line? It's very simple: you need to read them - we read the writings of the apostles, the writings of the apostolic men, then - their disciples.
An interesting thing: if at first we see a complete correspondence between the writings of the apostles and the apostolic men, then further, apparently, the Spirit becomes somehow less effective in people. In some people it manifests itself in full force, which is characterized by their deeds, in others it manifests itself less. In the third, we do not see the spirit at all. It is no coincidence that Christ said in the Gospel: “By this they will know that you are My disciples, that you have love for one another.” What is the mark of believers? - "In My name they will cast out demons, cleanse lepers, speak foreign languages, even if they drink something mortal (poisonous), it will not harm them."
When I read these lines, I think: what a non-believer I am! I don't have any of these signs. Has everyone become disbelievers? Christ said - I must believe Him.
So, the first thing that characterizes Orthodoxy is the appeal to this thread, which comes directly from the apostles, is transmitted through the disciples and goes further, the study of it. In theology, this thread that goes through the centuries has a name: consensus patrum- consent of the fathers. Here a very important, deep thing is hidden for us: at first the Spirit acted in the apostles and their disciples in full measure, but then it began to fade, and if we turn to later times, then according to the words of one of our theologians of the 19th century, an aristocrat, a deep thinker, recently canonized, Bishop Ignatius (Bryanchaninov), who wrote such that when I quote to the guys, I stumble over one word and say: “here is a fuzzy pen”: “There are academies, there are theological schools, there are candidates, masters, - but then I stumble - doctors of divinity: laughter and nothing more. And ask another of them, try it: it turns out that not only does he not have a spirit - he does not have faith, he doubts: was there Christ, and was it not an invention? Doctor of theology - but he does not believe in Christ!
Faith with the head alone, the recognition of Holy Scripture without a corresponding life emasculates a person, faith is lost. "And the demons believe and tremble."
What does the term mean consensus patrum? – When we try to find out what the teaching of Christianity is on this or that issue, then we turn to no one, even if he was a doctor three times, – we turn to the most authoritative, about whom the Church says that he was distinguished by the height of moral life.
Secondly, we do not take all the opinions that were in the history of Christianity, but those that were among the most authoritative, and most of the fathers had them. Why does Orthodoxy appeal to them? Because when the majority of the fathers, the most prominent people in the Church, speak unanimously on this issue, then we can conclude that this is not the personal opinion of Ivan, Stepan, but this is the transmission of that tradition, which, thanks to the Spirit of God, operates constantly and directly in the Church of Christ . This makes it possible to unambiguously understand the most fundamental issues, the basic truths of Orthodoxy. Lots of different opinions, but consensus patrum. This line can be traced: turn back a century, another century - and we see: it goes straight from the apostles and the apostolic men.
This is the basic point, the foundation on which the Orthodox understanding of the Holy Scriptures, the basic moral values, and the principles of spiritual life are built. What is the essence of Christianity, how does it differ from all religions? If we simply say that Christ is the God-man, we will be laughed at, they will say: we have had many gods in history. Revelation? – The Buddha also opened as much as you want.
Who were the founders of all religions? - Teachers. They reminded people, revealed to them those truths that were forgotten by people, spoiled, distorted. A prophet comes and reminds people of these truths. Is this the function of Christ? Then instead of Him, John the Baptist could have said everything. The moral preaching of Christ, even the Sermon on the Mount, which Mahatma Gandhi so admired and saw in it all of Christianity, any of the prophets could have said it.
The essence of Christianity is in the Sacrifice that Christ made, no one could bring it, except for the God-man. Expiatory Sacrifice. A person can suffer for a person - so what? And the redemptive sacrifice concerns all mankind, from the beginning of the former. No one could do it and will not do it until the end of human history. This distinguishes Christianity from all other religions.
Here we find another specific feature of Orthodoxy. There are two main directions in understanding this Sacrifice of Christ. One of them, developed with great force, is called legal understanding of the sacrifice of Christ. The second understanding can be called moral- this is a very imperfect term, I take it conditionally, for lack of a suitable one. These two strong trends also characterize two large branches of Christianity: the juridical is characteristic of Catholicism, while the moral is specific to Orthodoxy.
In the legal understanding, the essence of the feat of Christ is seen in the following: the first man, Adam, endlessly offended God with his sin, thereby he fell away from God and was subjected to a curse. The sacrifice of Christ is redemptive, like a ransom: Christ suffers for everyone, brings satisfaction to God the Father. In this way, the believer is freed from punishment for all sins.
The basic concepts of Roman Catholic theology are the concepts satisfaction and merit. The sacrifice of Christ is considered in terms of our human relations: you can pay for someone, redeem a person who has committed a crime. How in Old Testament: knocked out an eye - pay so much, killed a slave - pay so much. That is, the relationship between man and God is considered on the basis of legal relations.
The Orthodox understanding of the Sacrifice of Christ is characterized differently: the sin of the first man is not an insult to God, for what creature can offend the all-good, all-perfect Deity? If a person could offend God, and God would be angry at every insult, then God would be the most unfortunate creature in the world - every moment we would offend Him. The moral concept says (I'll draw a picture): imagine the Red Sea, there are corals, it's beautiful. A diver is lowered from the ship, he is connected by a hose through which oxygen is supplied. Beauty in the Red Sea - suddenly a command from the ship: get up, that's enough. He: how is enough? This is such bliss! He takes a knife, crosses the hose, and bliss begins - water rushes over him. He completely forgot that through this hose life is given to him, air, without which he cannot live. Up there is the source of his life. Irreversible processes take place with him.
Approximately this picture happened to a man during the fall. What is disobedience to God? - Get away from me, I myself understand, I myself am a god! The connection between man and God was severed. Irreversible processes began in the whole person. It is this fall into sin, both in the legal interpretation and in the moral one, that is called original sin. Only Orthodoxy says that there has been a distortion of human nature, and not just an insult to God, this distortion is now affecting the entire consciousness and activity of man in the most detrimental way. Mind, heart, body have become antagonists when it comes to goodness.
This is a fact - no dogmatic teaching is even needed. Let's remember the Apostle Paul: "Not that good that I want, but that I hate, that I do." Where did such slavery to passions come from? It is because of the damage to human nature. Damage at the genetic level, therefore, descendants are born from Adam with a damaged, upset soul, heart and body - death has entered a human being.
It becomes clear why no one could heal a person. Even if we admit that it is possible to heal oneself by living a holy life, it is impossible to heal others. This is the essence of the Sacrifice of Christ, that He, perceiving our fall, according to the words of the Apostle Paul, “became sin for us”, heals our nature through suffering. “God made the captain of our salvation through suffering” (Hebrews). Makes perfect. Whom? Christ? - What blasphemy! Christ took a mortal body, suffering, He wept for Lazarus, shouted on the Cross: “God, my God, have you left me?” Through suffering, He restored this human nature to Himself.
From here we understand what the sacrament of baptism is: if by nature we are born from each other in a purely biological way and independently of our will and consciousness, then a great process takes place here: “Whoever has faith will be saved.” It depends on the person himself whether he will eventually be born or unborn. In baptism, this seed of the new man is planted, thanks to which a person receives the beginning of eternal life in himself.
The moral understanding of the Sacrifice of Christ does not come down to legal relations: who should pay how much to whom - no, in Christ the healing of human nature takes place, and each of us, accepting the sacrament of baptism with faith, as the Lord said, receives a grain, a seed - not the whole apple tree! - this new person. From here it becomes clear why one baptized saint becomes, another becomes a scoundrel, and the third becomes neither this nor that. What we will do with the seed, our faith - whether we will water it, fertilize it, take care of it - depends on the person.
In the pyramids of Egypt, wheat seeds were found that were about three thousand years old. We tried to sow them - sprouted! For three thousand years they did not give fruit - the grain lay fruitlessly. Appropriate conditions are required.
From the legal and moral understanding of the Sacrifice of Christ flow two completely different ways and understandings. Christian life, understanding what is needed for a person so that he can fully receive the salvation that Christ brought. In the legal approach - like in a bank, a bank account: I helped the old woman bring it - glory to Thee, Lord, a good deed has been done, it is supposed to be in the bank, the interest is growing.
Why did this concept of satisfaction and merit cause such protest, why did the Reformation begin? Why was Luther angry? Because bargaining with God, a Catholic will tell you how much salvation costs: so much and so much for every sin. I tell students: crawl around the Trinity Cathedral so many times - and everyone shines with delight: that's it, merit! And not enough of their merits: there is a thesaurum bonorum - treasury of the good, and the Pope can pass it on to others, especially in the holy year, which now happens every 25 years. I once got on it, I was in all the basilicas, the Pope was - I come to the academy: kiss my shoe! I'm a saint now! Rascals, no one kissed.
The juridical concept is connected with these settlement matters, it looks not at the human soul, not at the passions, not at the struggle with oneself, not at the commandments of Christ, but how to avoid punishment and bring corresponding satisfaction to God. Hence the purgatory appeared: they came up with the huge heads of doctors of theology, however, only heads planted in brine, without a heart. The man repented, his sins were forgiven, but he did not have time to bring satisfaction. Where to put it? You can’t go to heaven - he didn’t bring satisfaction, you can’t go to hell - he repented. The concept of purgatory is being created, where a person brings satisfaction in order to go to heaven later.
The Reformation began with this: with indulgences, with this sale, with the bargaining of paradise. “As soon as the coin rings in my copper basin, the soul will immediately jump out to heaven.” Remember these words of Tetzel?
Orthodoxy looks at the Sacrifice of Christ differently - it is the healing of the human nature damaged by years in Christ, healing through suffering. This healing can be acquired not formally, not magically, not automatically, but "who has faith and is baptized." "The kingdom of God is in need, and he who forces himself delights him." From this understanding of the Sacrifice of Christ follows the understanding of the spiritual life of a Christian.
Why did Adam fall? What happened? In our Orthodox textbooks this process is sometimes depicted in such a way that you are amazed. It seems that the Lord God did not even know that this would happen, he gasped. The serpent offered, Eve plucked, Adam ate, and the Lord God did not even imagine, and the story went at random. This is, of course, a child's picture. The Lord knew whom He was creating and foresaw everything from the beginning to the end of history.
Everything was created “very good”, and Adam was the pinnacle of creation, the pinnacle of beauty, crowned with glory and all knowledge, he gave names to everything that exists. He had everything, did not have only one thing, and could not have: he did not have an experimental knowledge of who he, Adam, is without God. He who lives in wealth does not imagine what he is if all wealth is taken away from him. “A well-fed man is not a friend to a hungry man.”
The famous rocket builder Korolev said: he once served time where he needed to. They are holding a meeting in a luxurious office, his friends are wealthy people, and suddenly a mouse jumped out of the corner! The reaction was immediate - several people fell off their easy chairs and rushed to catch and strangle this mouse ... The mouse escaped safely, everyone sat down, and Korolev says: “You know, friends, when I was sitting where I needed to, we lived in terrible conditions, bread - it was a great joy for us, we lived in a terrible famine. And a mouse sometimes appeared in this chamber, and knowing this, we left crumbs from our unfortunate piece of bread and put them there, and then everyone enjoyed it, watched how the mouse eats these crumbs. Now look what happened before our eyes: contented, well-fed, living in abundance rushed to strangle this mouse. What happened to us? It was a good lesson for the youth.
This is exactly what happened to Adam: he was in abundance of all good things, it was that unimaginable for us, to which mankind aspires. But he could not understand that only in God he is so rich, in God he is a deity, and without God he is nothing. St. Philaret (Drozdov) well said: "Man hangs over the abyss of his non-existence." Adam did not know this experimentally, hence the crafty thought arose: I am like God. This is where the wall between man and God came from.
If we imagine salvation as a return to the state of the original Adam, then isn't it dangerous? What is the guarantee that there, having received glory and power, and all knowledge, we will not again say that we are like gods? The first people, with the perfection of their nature, were not yet unfallen. They could fall, there was nothing else that would block the path to sin in man himself, the path of opposing himself to God.
Here arises major problem in Christian soteriology - the science of salvation. What is the way, what are the means, the acquisition of what state - non-falling state - is this possible, and what does it mean? Orthodox soteriology is built on the following foundation: what does the Sacrifice of Christ speak about?
There is a term in theology kenosis- humiliation. Humility. God the Word, having incarnated, humbled Himself to the limit, which is impossible to conceive. No wonder the apostle Paul wrote: “We preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to the Jews, madness to the Greeks.” God humbles himself to an extreme measure, through this measure a redemptive sacrifice is made, through it the rebirth of human nature takes place. This indicates a great path for every person. In the same way, a person can come to salvation, to a state of non-falling.
What does humility mean in relation to a person? Not at all what secular, superficial, empty literature writes about. What does she mean by humility? - Some kind of rubbish: downtroddenness, humility, passivity - either a person, or chaff. How do I know who I am spiritually? In the physical it is very easy: substitute the weights - and we will find out.
But spiritually, the Gospel is of the greatest importance: this is the mirror, the human norm, the image of Christ, His commandments. Look in the mirror, compare yourself. Shame is a caricature. He says: love even enemies, but I don’t love friends. I can’t do anything good: I sat down at the table - overeat, went out into the street - my eyes are like frying pans in all directions, they touched me - so I will show where the crayfish hibernate. They awarded my friend - so I turned green with envy. Therefore, I have been given a great test so that I can know who I am, these are the commandments of the Gospel. Only forcing myself to carefully fulfill the commandments will show me who I really am. And it turns out that I am poor, naked and miserable - I can do nothing. This shows me my soul: once I abstained, and then again I fall into condemnation. At every step, every minute: feelings, desires, cunning, hypocrisy…
No wonder Dostoevsky, through the mouth of the prince, declared that if what lives in my soul were revealed - not only what I will never reveal to people, even friends and neighbors, not only what I hide from myself - then something like this would go the stench that it would be impossible to live in the world. This is the way I can see myself for who I really am.
This vision gives me the greatest benefit: I no longer lift my nose up, but “Lord, have mercy on me.” I really am terrible. This state is humility, a true vision of oneself, sober, without rose-colored glasses. Just as a drowning person calls for help, so here a person begins to turn to Christ. I see the help of God when I turn to Him. Prayer becomes not just a formal recitation, it is the cry of a drowning man. This is where Christianity begins for man. Christ is the Savior, He is needed by those who really perish.
Envy, vanity, gluttony torment me, not anyone else. I begin to understand the words of Christ: "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick." Until I see myself, I do not force the commandments - I am healthy. Theoretically, I know that I am a fallen being, I can’t do anything, God saves me, haha, hehe.
No, another picture here: I see that passions are illnesses. Here is my Savior, who helps me, in any appeal to Him. The Savior is needed by the perishing, and not by the one who lies on the bank, and he needs the Giver of blessings: both, and the other, and the third. Christ says: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock." Whoever opens it enters. That's when saving, healing faith begins.
So: the foundation on which a correct understanding of the Holy Scriptures is built.
Then: the essence of any religion is the doctrine of salvation.
The Christian understanding of salvation lies in the Sacrifice of Christ.
Two understandings of the Sacrifice of Christ: legal and moral.
And how this Orthodox, moral understanding of Christianity can be realized in the real spiritual life of each of us.
Questions:
– You spoke about spiritual continuity, which is clearly revealed in Orthodoxy. To what extent does the appeal to spiritual authorities correlate with a personal, living appeal to God?
– I must say frankly my impression: Christianity is degrading. Everywhere and everywhere. Orthodoxy is not at all what one would like to see it. And this is not just my opinion. Ignatius (Bryanchaninov) writes about the state of monasteries, about spiritual life, about understanding faith - he sheds bitter tears. This is a universal process.
Therefore, when we talk about this thread, of course, we do not have that spirit, nor that burning, jealousy, purity that we would like to have. We speak of this as a kind of golden age, from which, alas, we have moved far enough away. We still maintain a connection: we believe them, turn to them, adhere to them, but this connection is weakening.
– You said that the essence of Christianity is in the Sacrifice of Christ, in podvig: after all, podvig, the deed determines the personality, or does the personality determine the deed? Personally, I think that what matters most to us is the person of Christ, which determines what He did.
– That is why Christianity is called so because we believe in Christ, in what He did. I agree with you, but when we start to look: what is the most important, why did He come? After all, every business is determined by the goal, through the goal we understand the essence of the matter. God the Word was incarnated for what purpose? - The salvation of man. That is why I say that the essence of Christ's work is not in the teaching of moral truths, but in His Sacrifice, through which we receive salvation.
– When we talk about the theories of morality and redemption, we find in various places in the Bible justifications for one or another theory. Maybe the Gospel writer was just trying to find images that would be understandable to a person living at that time, what happened?
– You are right: the whole atmosphere of the Roman Empire was the atmosphere of the slave system. And the Old Testament religion is the religion of the law, it is the same legalism. It is not surprising that the apostles addressed their contemporaries in a language they could understand. Therefore, the repeated use of this term is redemption. But when we touch on the central concept that expresses the very essence of the work of Christ, we find a whole series of terms: redemption, justification, adoption, salvation. Term redemption caused by time, epoch, it does not convey the essence of that feat, about which it is said: "God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son."
We are not talking about buying and selling - from whom to buy? One of the Fathers of the Church, Gregory the Theologian, has a wonderful thought: “To whom was the sacrifice made? Devil? How blasphemous to think of it! For the Creator to bring a ransom for His creature, and even the fallen one. Father? But does the Father love less than the Son? He did not even accept Isaac, who was being sacrificed, but gave a ram in his place.
If we proceed from the context of the Gospel that God is love, then it is clear that we are not talking about a ransom, and at the same time the apostle uses this term to give a hint of what Christ did.
Where is modern theology heading now? What you need to go back and reread is understandable, but what should you do now so as not to stagnate?
- One of our theologians of the 20th century said a very interesting phrase: "Forward - to the fathers."
What did Christ come for? - For the sake of salvation. Why did you create the Church? - For the sake of salvation. Why did he give the gospel? - For the sake of salvation. Why does theology exist? – It is only doctors of theology who have turned theology into an entertaining game: how many angels can fit on a needle. The essence of theology comes down to one thing, and it is not theology if it does not deal with this: it must show how one must believe, how one must live, what means must be used in order to receive the salvation for which Christ came. When theology begins to engage in all sorts of speculative things, it returns to paganism, and not to theology.
Term theology It also has a pre-Christian origin: it is used by Aristotle, anyone who wrote about the gods was called theologians: Hesiod, Homer, Orpheus. So it is now: those who went through a theological school, answered fours or fives, wrote a work about God - a candidate of theology. Not without reason did I cite the thought of Ignatius (Bryanchaninov): "Doctor of theology - but he does not believe in Christ!" What is the use of this theology?
Theology should strengthen the faith - this path is before us, but what is its efficiency? I will shut up about this.
–You said that the Catholic understanding led to the term purgatory, a Orthodox prayers about the dead - is this not some kind of similarity?
- Probably not prayers, but the doctrine of ordeals. Yes, quite often they mix these completely different things. Where did purgatory come from? You won’t send to hell, because you repented, you won’t throw it into heaven, because you didn’t bring satisfaction. And ordeal is a state of mind when it is placed in front of specific passions. There is a great struggle of the soul - if it has mastered some kind of passion here, that it has become a slave of this passion, then there, in the face of God and passion, the struggle and fall begin. Here we walk in the dark: we don’t feel God, and we don’t see the underworld, but everything opens up there. Suffering in which the soul is either there or there. And purgatory - served his sentence and that's it: if you didn't crawl around the church three times - sit in a frying pan.
– When the fathers explained the doctrine, they were in their own conditions, and we are now in completely different historical conditions. How can you now connect the teaching that was related to one issue, when now we are asking very different questions?
Everything is back to normal. If we now look at what is happening in the ecumenical world, it will turn out that the problems that once stood many centuries ago are now emerging in all their strength. You will not find a single phenomenon in the life of the ancient Church, which was condemned as heresy, which would not exist at the present time. See how many syncretic different sects. In France, according to statistics, 84% of Christians, but a third of them do not believe that Jesus Christ is God. The third part does not believe that He has risen. How many fathers write about it. Problems recur, many springing directly from our old man.
Therefore, if we see that there is a rich experience of reflection on this or that issue, then we take from there so as not to reinvent the wheel. But a number of new problems arise: these problems are much more difficult to comprehend, because we do not have a precedent, we do not have that experience, developments. But we have to do these things.
– And such an existential theology, when God reveals Himself in people’s lives – and at the same time, in Orthodoxy, some go to a monastery, go away from life, from society…
This reproach is heard throughout history. It is partly justified: there are people who are naturally inclined to solitude, to special attention to themselves, but there are very active, lively ones. And to change their places in life - it will be absurd. To each his own, but not everyone can correctly assess their capabilities. Monasticism is an attempt to renounce everything, to give everything in order to engage in spiritual life, but not everyone has all the talents for this. Very often, a person who does not have the relevant data, embarking on the path of monastic life, can easily turn into a caricature of a monk, and then this is a disaster.
–A person who has returned to the state of sinlessness - will there be a new attempt?
“The fact of the matter is that Adam did not have this non-falling state. A non-falling state is a state when a person sees himself and understands that without God he is not capable of anything good. We have the morning prayer of Macarius the Great, who was called the "earthly god": "God, cleanse me, a sinner, for I have done no good before Thee." This vision of oneself gives a person the possibility of eternal unfallen communion with God. Burnt in milk, they blow on the water.
–How did these two theories develop in Protestantism: legal and moral?
– Three main terms exist to describe what Christ did, corresponding to the three branches of Christianity. Catholicism has redemption, Orthodoxy has salvation, and Protestants—I know this well, because I participate in all dialogues with Lutherans—justification. This is the specificity of the Protestant understanding. Luther tried to correct the Catholic understanding: why is the merit of Christ only enough to correct original sin? Why so few? Christ suffered for all sins - the logic is absolutely fair.
Luther, and then Melanchthon, the "Augsburg Confession", the "Apology" of this confession, in other symbolic books, in the "Small Catechism" it is said that a sin to a believer is not imputed to sin. This idea deserves the most serious analysis. Luther writes strange words: “If before that a person was in fear and trembling, then from now on, having received the news of salvation, he is a rejoicing child of God.” That's it, you don't need anything anymore.
Here is the danger of perceiving that God does everything, nothing is needed anymore. I returned from Finland, we had a big discussion with the Lutherans about freedom there. One of the aspects of the discussion was as follows: "Man's freedom in the matter of man's salvation." The Lutherans said with great insistence that man has no freedom in the matter of salvation, no existential freedom. I was forced to ask them a question directly: “If a person has no freedom in the matter of salvation, and God does everything, then a terrible thing is prescribed: then God is guilty of the death of all who do not inherit eternal life, for He did not give people faith, He is to blame that they were not saved."
Have you read the article Lecture by Professor Osipov: What is the essence of Orthodoxy? Read also.
The essence of the word "Orthodoxy" is "Praise God." Orthodoxy is a correctly chosen path of faith, the main goal of which is saving faith in God, the Savior, the Creator. Man's faith is inexplicable by science a phenomenon that is born in the human soul. This state is not like the development of the imagination, self-hypnosis or the work of the human will. The Apostle Paul said that faith is the certainty that things will be done. Our faith has been revealed to us by God, revealed in the Bible, and directed by the Church. Faith in God is a worldview conscious of us, because in order to know faith, we do the work of the mind and develop intellectual knowledge. But not only our development and outlook helps us to be Orthodox people. Orthodoxy is, first of all, a way of life, it is life according to God's rules.
We all often hear about the Russian Orthodox Church, but what is Orthodoxy? In this article, we will try to answer the question, what is Orthodoxy, what is the essence of Orthodoxy. The very term "Orthodoxy", rather ancient, appeared at the end of the third, beginning of the fourth century and was due to many heretical movements that arose at that time.
And in order to express the main direction of Christianity, which comes from the beginning, the term "Orthodoxy" appeared. What characterizes Orthodoxy? Let's see who understood the Apostles the best? Who could best explain what they preach? Of course, their students. And just Orthodoxy follows this tradition - the tradition of the holy fathers. So, the first thing that characterizes Orthodoxy is the appeal to this thread coming from the Apostles and its study. The second thing that characterizes the essence of Orthodoxy is the understanding of the sacrifice of Christ. From the point of view of the Western Catholic Church, Christ suffered for everyone, bringing satisfaction to God the Father, and thus every believer is freed from punishment for his sins. From the Orthodox point of view, the sacrifice of Christ is viewed as follows: Firstly, the sin of the first man is not an insult to God, but a distortion of human nature. Christ, in turn, heals the nature of man, and healing in us occurs as a result of baptism, in which we are given spiritual seed, which, with certain efforts, is able to grow. So with this one more hallmark Orthodoxy, is such an understanding of the sacrifice of Christ.
This is the main essence of Orthodoxy, of course, we have not considered all aspects, because in the framework of this article it is not so easy to do, but nevertheless this is the main thing that needs to be understood. Well, that's all that concerns the essence of Orthodoxy, on this I consider it possible to end this article. Peace to you and all the true blessings.
Orthodoxy(from the Greek "correct service", "correct teaching") - one of the main world religions, represents the direction in Christianity. Orthodoxy took shape in the first millennium from R. X. under the leadership of the bishop's chair Constantinople capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. Orthodoxy is currently professed 225-300 million person all over the world. In addition to Russia, the Orthodox faith has become widespread in Balkans and Eastern Europe. Interestingly, along with the traditionally Orthodox countries, adherents of this direction of Christianity are found in Japan, Thailand, South Korea and other Asian countries (and not only people with Slavic roots, but also the local population).
Orthodox believe in God the Trinity, into the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is believed that all three divine hypostases are in inseparable unity. God is the creator of the world that he created from the beginning sinless. Evil and sin while being understood as distortion world ordained by God. The original sin of Adam and Eve's disobedience to God was redeemed through incarnation, earthly life and suffering on the cross God the Son Jesus Christ.
In the understanding of the Orthodox Church- it is one divine-human organism led by the Lord Jesus Christ, uniting the society of people Holy Spirit Orthodox Faith, the Law of God, the hierarchy and the Sacraments.
The highest level of the hierarchy priests in Orthodoxy is the rank bishop. He leads church community on its territory (eparchy), performs the sacrament ordination of clergy(consecrations), including other bishops. succession of ordinations continuously ascends to the apostles. More elder bishops are called archbishops and metropolitans, and the supreme one is patriarch. Lower rank of the church hierarchy, after the bishops, - presbyters(priests) who can perform all Orthodox sacraments except for ordination. Next come deacons who themselves do not commit sacraments, but help in this to the presbyter or bishop.
Clergy subdivided into White and black. Priests and deacons related to white clergy, have families. Black the clergy is monks who make a vow celibacy. The rank of a deacon in monasticism is called a hierodeacon, and that of a priest is called a hieromonk. Bishop can be only representative black clergy.
Hierarchical structure Orthodox Church accepts certain democratic procedures management, in particular encouraged criticism any clergyman, if he retreats from the Orthodox faith.
Freedom of the individual refers to essential principles Orthodoxy. It is considered that meaning of spiritual life man in finding the original true freedom from the sins and passions by which he is enslaved. The rescue possible only under grace of God, provided free will believer their efforts on the spiritual path.
For gaining there are two ways to save. First - monastic, consisting in solitude and renunciation of the world. This is the way special ministry God, the Church and neighbors, associated with the intense struggle of man with his sins. The second way of salvation- it service to the world, primarily family. The family in Orthodoxy plays a huge role and is called small church or house church.
Source of domestic law Orthodox Church - the main document - is sacred tradition, which contains Holy Bible, interpretation of the Holy Scriptures compiled by the Holy Fathers, theological writings of the Holy Fathers (their dogmatic works), dogmatic definitions and acts of the Holy Ecumenical and Local Councils of the Orthodox Church, liturgical texts, icon painting, spiritual succession expressed in the works of ascetic writers, their instructions on the spiritual life.
Attitude Orthodoxy to statehood builds on the assertion that all power is from God. Even during the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire, the Apostle Paul commands Christians to pray for power and honor the king not only for the sake of fear, but also for the sake of conscience, knowing that power is the establishment of God.
To the Orthodox sacraments include: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Repentance, Priesthood, Honorable Marriage and Unction. Sacrament eucharist or communion, is the most important, it contributes bringing man closer to God. Sacrament baptism- it man's entry into the Church, deliverance from sin and opportunity to start new life. Confirmation (usually follows immediately after baptism) consists in giving the believer blessings and gifts of the Holy Spirit which strengthen a person in spiritual life. During Unction the human body anointed those sanctified with oil, which makes it possible to get rid of bodily ailments, gives remission of sins. Unction- associated with forgiveness of all sins committed by a person, a petition for liberation from diseases. Repentance- forgiveness of sin sincere remorse. Confession- gives fertile opportunity, strength and support to cleansing from sin.
Prayers in Orthodoxy can be like home and general- church. In the first case, a person before God opens his heart, and in the second - the power of prayer increases many times, since the saints and angels who are also members of the Church.
The Orthodox Church believes that the history of Christianity before the great split(separation of Orthodoxy and Catholicism) is the history of Orthodoxy. In general, relations between the two main branches of Christianity have always developed quite difficult, sometimes reaching open confrontation. Moreover, even in the 21st century early talk about complete reconciliation. Orthodoxy believes that salvation can only be found in Christianity: at the same time non-Orthodox Christian communities considered partially(but not completely) deprived God's grace . V difference from Catholics Orthodox do not recognize the dogma of papal infallibility and his supremacy over all Christians, the dogma of Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, the doctrine of purgatory, dogma about bodily ascension Mother of God . An important difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism, which had a serious impact on political history, is the thesis about symphonies of spiritual and secular authorities. Roman Church stands for full ecclesiastical immunity and, in the person of his High Priest, possesses sovereign temporal power.
The Orthodox Church is organizationally community of local churches, each of which uses full autonomy and independence on its territory. There are currently 14 Autocephalous Churches, for example, Constantinople, Russian, Greek, Bulgarian, etc.
Churches of the Russian tradition adhering to old rites, generally accepted up to Nikonian reform, are called Old Believers. Old Believers were subjected to persecution and oppression, which was one of the reasons that forced them to lead secluded lifestyle. Old Believer settlements existed in Siberia, on the North European part Russia, by now the Old Believers have settled Worldwide. Along with performance features Orthodox rituals, other than requirements Russian Orthodox Church (for example, the number of fingers with which they are baptized), Old Believers have special way of life, For example, do not drink alcohol, do not smoke.
V last years, due to globalization of spiritual life(the spread of religions around the world, regardless of the territories of their initial origin and development), it was believed that orthodoxy like a religion loses the competition Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Catholicism, insufficiently adapted for modern world. But probably, preservation of true deep religiosity, inextricably linked with Russian culture, and there is the main mission of orthodoxy, which will allow in the future to acquire salvation for the Russian people.
(from Greek - "orthodoxy") developed as an eastern branch of Christianity after the division of the Roman Empire and, taking shape after the division of churches in 1054, it became widespread mainly in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Features of Orthodoxy
The formation of religious organizations is closely connected with the social and political life of society. Christianity will not be an exception, which was especially evident in the differences between its main directions - Catholicism and Orthodoxy. At the beginning of the 5th century The Roman Empire split into East and West. The eastern one was a single state, while the western one was a fragmented conglomerate of principalities. In the conditions of strong centralization of power in Byzantium, the church immediately turned out to be an appendage of the state, and the emperor actually became its head. The stagnation of the social life of Byzantium and the control of the church by the despotic state led to the conservatism of the Orthodox Church in dogma and ritualism, as well as tendencies towards mysticism and irrationalism in its ideology. In the West, the church gradually assumed a central place in society and turned into an organization striving for dominance in all spheres of society, including politics.
Difference between Eastern and Western Christianity was due to the peculiarities of the development of spiritual culture. Greek Christianity concentrated its attention on ontological, philosophical problems, Western - on political and legal.
Since the Orthodox Church was under the auspices of the state, its history is connected not so much with external events as with the formation of dogma. The basis of Orthodox dogma is the Holy Scripture (the Bible - the Old and New Testament) and Sacred Tradition (decisions of the first seven Ecumenical and local councils, creations of the church fathers and canonical theologians) Symbol of faith, briefly outlining the essence of the Christian doctrine. It recognizes the trinity of God - the creator and ruler of the universe, the existence of the afterlife, the afterlife retribution, the redemptive mission of Jesus Christ, who opened the possibility for the salvation of mankind, on which lies the seal of original sin.
Fundamentals of the doctrine of Orthodoxy
The Orthodox Church declares the main provisions of the faith to be absolutely true, eternal and unchanging, communicated to man by God himself and incomprehensible to reason. Keeping them intact will be the first duty of the church. It is impossible to add anything or remove any provisions, therefore, later dogmas established by the Catholic Church - about the descent of the Holy Spirit not only from the Father, but also from the Son (filioque), about the immaculate conception not only of Christ, but also of the Virgin Mary , about the infallibility of the Roman pope, about purgatory - Orthodoxy considers it a heresy.
Personal salvation of believers is made dependent on the zealous fulfillment of the rites and prescriptions of the church, due to which there is communion with Divine grace transmitted to man through the sacraments: baptism in infancy chrismation, communion, repentance (confession), marriage, priesthood, unction (unction) The sacraments are accompanied by rituals, which, together with divine services, prayers and religious holidays, form the religious cult of Christianity. It is important to know that Orthodoxy attaches great importance to holidays and fasts.
teaches observance of moral precepts given to man by God through the prophet Moses, as well as the fulfillment of the covenants and sermons of Jesus Christ set forth in the Gospels. Their main content will be observance of universal norms of life and love for one's neighbor, manifestations of mercy and compassion, as well as the rejection of resistance to evil by violence. Orthodoxy emphasizes the uncomplaining enduring of sufferings sent by God to test the strength of faith and cleansing from sin, on the special veneration of the sufferers - the blessed, the poor, the holy fools, hermits and hermits. In Orthodoxy, a vow of celibacy is given only by monks and higher ranks of clergy.Organization of the Orthodox Church
Unlike Catholicism, Orthodoxy does not have a single spiritual center, one head of the church. In the process of development of Orthodoxy, 15 autocephalous(from Greek. auto- "myself", kephale- “head”) of independent churches, 9 of which are controlled by patriarchs, and the rest by metropolitans and archbishops. Except for the above, there are autonomous churches are relatively independent of autocephaly in matters of internal governance.
Autocephalous churches are divided into exarchates, vicariates, dioceses(districts and regions) headed by bishops and archbishops, deanery(merger of several parishes) and parishes created at each temple. Patriarchs and metropolitans are elected at local councils for life and lead the life of the church together with Synod(collegiate body under the patriarchy, which consists of the highest church officials included in it on a permanent and non-permanent basis)
Today there is three autonomous Orthodox churches: Sinai (jurisdiction of the Jerusalem Patriarchate), Finnish (jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople), Japanese (jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate) The limits of independence of autonomous churches are determined by an agreement with the autocephalous church that granted it autonomy. The heads of autonomous churches are elected by local councils with their subsequent approval by the patriarch of the autocephalous church. A number of autocephalous churches have missions, deaneries, courtyards with other Orthodox churches.
The Orthodox Church is characterized hierarchical management principle, i.e. the appointment of all officials from above and the consistent subordination of the lower clergy to the higher. All the clergy are divided into higher, middle and lower, as well as black (monastic) and white (other)
The canonical dignity of Orthodox churches is reflected in the official list - " diptych of honor. According to the ϶ᴛᴏ list, the churches are arranged in a certain order.
Orthodox Church of Constantinople. It has another name - the Ecumenical Church or the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The Patriarch of Constantinople is considered universal, but he does not have the right to interfere in the activities of other churches. It arose after Emperor Constantine moved the capital from Rome to a small Greek city Byzantium, later renamed Constantinople. After the capture of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453, the residence of the Orthodox Patriarch was moved to the city of Phanar, which became the Greek quarter of Istanbul. In 1924, the Church of Constantinople switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian. Under its jurisdiction is the monastery complex, which includes 20 monasteries. The head of the Church of Constantinople has the title of Archbishop of Constantinople - New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch. Followers of the Church of Constantinople live in many countries of the world.
Alexandrian Orthodox Church. Another name is the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria. The apostle Mark is considered its founder. Originated in the 30s. 1st century AD In the 5th century a split occurred in the church, as a result of which a Coptic church. WITH 1928 Gregorian calendar adopted. The head of the Church of Alexandria has the title of Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa, with residence in Alexandria. The church's jurisdiction extends to all of Africa.
Antioch Orthodox Church founded in the 30s of the 1st century. AD in Antioch, the third largest city in the Roman Empire. The history of the ϶ᴛᴏth church is connected with the activities of the Apostle Paul, as well as with the fact that the disciples of Christ were called Christians for the first time on Syrian soil. John Chrysostom was born and educated here. In 550, the Antiochian church was divided into Orthodox and Jacobite. The current head of the Church of Antioch bears the title of Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, with residence in Damascus. There are 18 dioceses in the jurisdiction: in Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Iran, Iraq and other countries.
Jerusalem Orthodox Church, which also has a different name - the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. According to legend, the Jerusalem church in the first years of its existence was headed by relatives of the family of Jesus Christ. The head of the church bears the title of Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem with residence in Jerusalem. Divine services are celebrated in the monasteries in Greek, and in parishes in Arabic. In Nazareth, worship is performed in Church Slavonic. Julian calendar adopted.
It is important to note that one of the functions of the church is the preservation of holy places. Jurisdiction extends to Jordan and areas controlled by the Palestinian authorities.
Russian Orthodox Church
Georgian Orthodox Church. Christianity began to spread on the territory of Georgia in the first centuries AD. She received autocephaly in the 8th century. In 1811 Georgia became part of Russian Empire, and the church became part of the Russian Orthodox Church as an exarchate. In 1917, at the meeting of Georgian priests, a decision was made to restore autocephaly, which was preserved under Soviet rule. The Russian Orthodox Church recognized autocephaly only in 1943.
The head of the Georgian Church bears the title of Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi with residence in Tbilisi.
Serbian Orthodox Church. Autocephaly was recognized in 1219. The head of the church bears the title of Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovapia, Patriarch of Serbia with residence in Belgrade.
Romanian Orthodox Church. Christianity entered the territory of Romania in the II-III centuries. AD In 1865, the autocephaly of the Romanian Orthodox Church was proclaimed, but without the consent of the Church of Constantinople; in 1885 such consent was obtained. The head of the church bears the title of Archbishop of Bucharest, Metropolitan of Ungro-Vlachia, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church with residence in Bucharest.
Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Christianity appeared on the territory of BULGARIA in the first centuries of our era. In 870 the Bulgarian Church received autonomy. The status of the church has changed over the centuries depending on the political situation. The autocephaly of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church was recognized by Constantinople only in 1953, and the patriarchy only in 1961.
The head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church bears the title of Metropolitan of Sofia, Patriarch of All BULGARIA with residence in Sofia.
Cypriot Orthodox Church. The first Christian communities on the island were founded at the beginning of our era by St. apostles Paul and Do not forget that Barnabas. Widespread Christianization of the population began in the 5th century. Autocephaly was recognized at the III Ecumenical Council in Ephesus.
The head of the Cypriot Church bears the title of Archbishop of New Justiniana and all of Cyprus, his residence is in Nicosia.
E.yadskaya (Greek) Orthodox Church. According to legend, the Christian faith was brought by the Apostle Paul, who founded and established Christian communities in a number of cities, and St. John the Evangelist preached "Revelation" on the island of Patmos. The autocephaly of the Greek Church was recognized in 1850. In 1924, it switched to the Gregorian calendar, which caused a split. The head of the church bears the title of Archbishop of Athens and all Hellas with residence in Athens.
Athens Orthodox Church. Autocephaly was recognized in 1937. At the same time, for political reasons, contradictions arose, and the final position of the church was determined only in 1998. The head of the church bears the title of Archbishop of Tirana and All Albania with residence in Tirana. The peculiarities of the ϶ᴛᴏth church include the election of the clergy with the participation of the laity. Divine services are performed in Albanian and Greek.
It is worth saying - the Polish Orthodox Church. Orthodox dioceses exist on the territory It is worth saying - Poland since the 13th century .. however, for a long time they were under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate. After gaining Polish independence, they left the subordination of the Russian Orthodox Church and formed the Polish Orthodox Church, which in 1925 was recognized as autocephalous. Russia accepted autocephaly It is worth saying that the Polish Church only in 1948
Divine services are conducted in Church Slavonic. At the same time, the Polish language has been used more and more in recent years. The head Worth saying - the Polish Orthodox Church bears the title of Metropolitan Do not forget that Warsaw and the whole Worth saying - Wormwood with a residence in Do not forget that Warsaw.
Czechoslovak Orthodox Church. The mass baptism of the people on the territory of modern Czech Republic and Slovakia began in the second half of the 9th century, when the Slavic enlighteners Cyril and Methodius arrived in Moravia. For a long time, these lands were under the jurisdiction of the Catholic Church. Orthodoxy was preserved only in Eastern Slovakia. After the formation of the Czechoslovak Republic in 1918, an Orthodox community was organized. Further development events led to division within the Orthodoxy of the country. In 1951, the Czechoslovak Orthodox Church asked the Russian Orthodox Church to take it into its jurisdiction. In November 1951, the Russian Orthodox Church granted her autocephaly, which the Church of Constantinople approved only in 1998. After the division of Czechoslovakia into two independent states the church formed two metropolitan provinces. The head of the Czechoslovak Orthodox Church bears the title of Metropolitan of Prague and Archbishop of the Czech and Slovak Republics with residence in Prague.
American Orthodox Church. Orthodoxy came to America from Alaska, where from the end of the 18th century. the Orthodox community began to operate. In 1924 a diocese was formed. After the sale of Alaska to the United States Orthodox churches and land plots remain in the ownership of the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1905, the center of the diocese was transferred to New York, and its head Tikhon Belavin elevated to the rank of archbishop. In 1906, he raised the question of the possibility of autocephaly for the American Church, but in 1907 Tikhon was withdrawn, and the issue remained unresolved.
In 1970, the Moscow Patriarchate gave autocephalous status to the metropolis, which received the name Orthodox Church in America. The head of the church has the title of Archbishop. Do not forget that the Metropolitan of Washington, the Metropolitan of all America and Canada, with a residence in Syosset, near New York.
